Title The Last Supper (0121a)
Contents
20010121-11 Institutional Bridge Title: Last Supper Main Text: Luke 22:14-23
A famous painter painted this scene in the text, and the title of the painting is probably the same as the title of today's sermon. The painting is so famous that most of you have probably seen it. In front of a large table, Jesus is seated in the middle, and the disciples are seated on either side.
I think he was able to paint such a famous picture because the scene in today's text gave the painter a lot of emotion and inspiration. I don't know how much emotion the artist received, but I also felt my heart swayed greatly by this text. The problem is that the artist left that impression as an immortal masterpiece, but I don't know if it's just because I can't express it all. Anyway, it seems clear that today's text contains the words that God wants to say to me and you.
The Passover in the text is the most important feast for the nation of Israel. In the past, Israel had been a slave in Egypt for 430 years, and God rescued the people of Israel through Moses.
The last of the ten plagues was the death of all the firstborns of Egypt - from the calf of the stall to the son of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt - to the prince. Because the angel of death passed over it because he ate it quickly and smeared the blood on the doorpost, it was named the Passover festival.
So, whenever the people of Israel celebrated the Passover, on the one hand, they ate hard unleavened bread and bitter herbs baked without yeast in memory of their ancestors' suffering.
On the other hand, I ate lamb and remembered the joy of salvation and victory at that time.
But this Passover does not end there. This Passover was completed when Moses led the Israelites down the mountain of God and made a covenant with God there. In other words, this is a covenant. I think I explained it once or twice, there is a covenant ceremony between the lord of a castle and the king of a great empire in the ancient Near East...(Explanation) On both sides of the large yard, the king and the lord stand facing each other, and cut the animals in half and make them face each other, then make a way out of them, and as they pass between them, they swear to keep their promise, meaning that if they don't keep their promise, they will be cut in half like these beasts, and if they keep it, they will live in harmony. In a sense, there is fellowship at the table where you catch and eat the fish ... The last thing you eat is this meal you have at a party. The Passover Supper would be that meal.
The atmosphere of today's text is that meal atmosphere.
Just because the atmosphere in today's text is a meal atmosphere, do not think that it is a simple meal situation. This is a special meal. <Passover meal>. It is the biggest festival for the Jews - it is one of the festivals that is celebrated bigger than our nation's Lunar New Year. They eat wine and bread, and in verse 7 it is said that it is a day of slaughtering sheep. But Jesus suddenly says this. "I so wished and wished so much to eat this Passover supper with you." -Why? Not because of the delicious food, of course. There is no explanation after that. Why did you want it so... Even the disciples don't ask...
Jesus says it again. Verse 16, “I tell you, I will not eat it again until this Passover is accomplished in the kingdom of God.” - I! I will never eat this again in this world!
This is an important declaration. Why? It's the most important holiday for the Jews... Failing to observe it means renunciation of your faith in God, at least as long as you live in this world-
No, your parents suddenly said, "I won't receive a 'New Year's award' next year!" Then you're like, "Oh, it's true-" right? I don't know... "No, why are you doing that?" Or, if you're not feeling well... shouldn't you ask? But the disciples don't ask anyone...
Then wine came in. Jesus pours it out by hand and distributes it, but <verse 17> "...Take this and share it among yourselves."-- As if to teach that Jesus won't be there next time...
Jesus says it again. <Verse 18> "Hey, I tell you, I will never drink anything from the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes." - Why? Because Jesus knows all too well that he must be arrested and crucified soon.... Around this time next year, the disciples must eat this Passover supper with each other... I want to talk and explain that, but these disciples are not interested . Ooh, is this all happening?
Do you have any such experiences? I talked for a long time, but after hearing everything, someone who says something else... A person who doesn't understand no matter how much I say...
Parents do everything they can to ensure that their children are healthy, listen well, study well, and grow up well, but the kids just play, eat, play games, and do whatever they want... ..
How do you feel about Jesus right now? He emphasizes this over and over again... The disciples don't seem to have any idea... When I say things like this, I say this sometimes, but I think I'm going to be a little bit scolded when I go to heaven in this dam. But I can't help it... Because, it's not just about the disciples.
Why did God make these stories written so that all generations, coming and going, could read them? This is because God's people - all those who profess to believe in God were born and ate like this. These are the words of God that every child of God should listen to.
Even though we are children of God, our goal and destination is heaven, and we are people who, after all, live according to the Lord’s will, prepare for heaven and be trained... . No, aren't you acting and living like someone who will never go to heaven?
Finally, Jesus declares a bombshell <verses 21-22> "Behold, the hand of the one who betrays me is with me on the table. The Son of Man goes as it has been decreed, but woe to him who betrays him." - What does it mean? --Some of you will sell me, I know.
How did the disciples react? <23> - Hey, who among us would do this, no matter how...
Do you know what Jesus is talking about now? <New Covenant>. This is a story that completely overturns the law of the Mosaic Covenant, which the Israelites had kept until now. That's a very important word. It is saying that the Passover that God made a covenant with Israel in the past, with Moses as the representative, now means Jesus. how?
- That bread is my body
- That cup is my blood.
- This is the new covenant from now on
- So, don't celebrate the liberation and victory of the former Exodus, but celebrate <me>.
To explain this, he had waited so long for this Passover Supper. And now you're trying to explain it well... But the disciples are completely indifferent, like students who smoke in class.
In fact, it is the Passover that always comes back every year, so what else would it be so thrilling? But one day, the Lord suddenly said, "This is the last Passover! Now we have to celebrate a completely different Passover!" you're saying
It is very similar to ours. At least I am, right? I think Jesus is trying to say something really important, but I'm more interested in other things than that.
If we carefully select the words Jesus wanted to say from the Bible,
- How to be forgiven of sins...
- How to love God
- How to love our neighbors and how to love our enemies
- How to live differently from the world and how to uphold justice to the end
Are they these types?
But our attention is packaged very plausibly...
- Whether it is God's will for me to quit my job this time or not...
- moving east
- Which school do you go to?
- How to receive prayer answers well...
All of this seems like a good thing, doesn't it? You're welcome. No. This is still a very young belief. It's just that our greed is colored with religious expressions. They don't listen to the voice of the Lord, and just line up our wishes. It's just a slang these days, "Do whatever you want". Don't try to make excuses for God.
The most basic life is described in the Bible.
Why are you confused? It's confusing because we want to be comfortable, to do what we want, and to make our wishes come true. Empty your mind. Why is God's will confused? In fact, even I, who is shouting out loud, is confused dozens of times a day.
Are our faiths moving today?
What does Sunday worship mean? Is this time that comes back every week so precious? You take the form of belief that you used to keep, hold on to that, and think that's all, and it's just coming all the time - Aren't you indulging in mannerism?
Do not misunderstand that knowing a lot of hymns is good faith.
familiar with church life. What many churchgoers know. Don't misunderstand that you are familiar with the order of worship, that the building of the church is familiar to your eyes, that other people in the church recognize you, these things are good faith.
Sin is to be wiped every day as if you were wiping your hands and feet,
So the longer you believe in Jesus, the more you need to be moved by the cross.
In the past, I prayed really hard, so even if I just knelt in front of the cross, tears welled up in my eyes, but these days, if I'm just blind... there's something wrong with my spiritual health. Whether it's indigestion or arthritis...
Even if the Lord keeps talking to us with a really frustrated heart, isn't it possible that you cover your ears and don't listen? Without hearing the Lord's voice through the Bible, our true joy, the Lord's comfort, abundant life, and victorious life are not guaranteed.
After that, never just look at that picture of the Last Supper. Consider the frustrating feeling of the Lord who appeared there. No, even if we buy that picture, cut out the disciples' faces, and put pictures of our faces there, we should not turn away from the Lord's frustration and listen to the Lord's voice calling out to us.
Do not ignore the fact that the Lord broke His flesh and shed His blood on me. Without that fact, we would not be able to come before God like this.
For the price Jesus shed, our sins were forgiven and salvation was given to us free of charge. It is the appearance of the disciples in this scene that they reasonably believe that they were given for free.
If you don't listen to the voice of Jesus, what do you do as a disciple or as a pastor?
Jesus must be trusted. Faith without effort loses strength.
True faith is to love God with all your heart, all your strength, and all your mind. Only then can you feel the love of the Lord more deeply and enjoy a thrilling life.
-Amen-